PREPARATION: 1. Before presenting the trick, lay three of the playing
cards on the edge of the table near you. 2. Place the two envelopes
on top of three cards, so as to completely hide the three cards from
the view of your spectators. (Be careful to see that these cards are
completely concealed from view).
PRESENTATION: Hand the balance of the deck to a spectator, and ask
him to count out 15 cards—counting out loud—slowly laying the cards
as he counts them—face down—on the table. When the fifteen cards have
been thus counted out, and are laying on the table—request the
spectator who counted out the cards—to pass the remainder of the pack
to someone else to hold, or so as not to touch the cards yourself. You
may direct the spectator who has counted out the fifteen cards to lay
the remaining cards he holds in his hand on the table before hin, or
Just to hold on to the same tightly, so that none may leave his hand.
When the remaining cards have been passed to a third party, or are
being held by the spectator who counted out the fifteen cards, you then
request the person holding the cards to hold them tightly, so that no
card may leave his hands. Now pick up the envelope that conceals the
three cards—being particular to pick up the three hidden cards at the
same time. Carelessly drop or lay the envelope beneath which you are
holding the three hidden cards on top of the pile of fifteen disarranged cards that the spectator has already counted out, throwing
the other or second envelope carelessly on top of the first envelope.
Ask any or all of the spectators to carefully examine the two envelopes
and be satisfied that they are perfectly empty and just plain envelopes.
Request the spectator that counted out the 15 cards to place them in
either one of the empty envelopes and securely seal the envelopes, (do
not have him pick them up one at a time—but all together.). After this
has been done ask the spectator to either hold the envelope in his hand
or place it in his pocket.
Now turn to the spectator who is holding the balance of the deck and
say: "Now continue to guard and hold fast and tight to the cards in
your hand. I am going to cause three of the cards in your hands to pass
to the cards sealed up in the envelope, held by the other spectator."
As you say this—make a motion as though you were picking with your
thumb and index finger a card from the hand, of the spectator who is
holding the balance of the pack of cards—not used in the trick.
Hold your thumb and index finger, between which you are supposed to be
holding a card extracted from the spectator's hand, before the spectator
and the others present—making a gesture as if you were throwing the
imaginary card toward or into the sealed envelope—held by the other
spectator. Kepeat this procedure three times, supposedly picking a
card from the pack held tightly by one spectator, and making a gesture
as if you were throwing the imaginary card toward or into the sealed
envelope held by the other spectator.

-8After this Is done—ask the spectator holding the sealed envelope—
to tear open the envelope he holds In his hand or pocket and count
out loud the number of cards he holds in the envelope. There will,
of course, be 18 not 15 cards in the envelope.
ADDITION TO THE ABOVE THICK
While the sealed envelope is being torn open, and the cards therein
counted, you may reach for the balance of the deck held by the second
spectator, and as you take them—palm three cards—throwing the balance
of the deck on the table away from the pile of eighteen cards which the
first spectator is counting out.
When the first spectator completes counting out the eighteen cards and
before the effect of the trick has passed off, quickly lay your h a n d —
in which the three palmed cards are held—on top of the eighteen cards
that have Just been counted out and push the pile of cards back toward
the spectator, who has Just counted out the eighteen cards saying:
"By the snap of my finger, I can—before your very eyes—place or add
three more cards to that pile (pointing to the 18 cards), then you will
have 21 cards." Then snap your fingers, and request someone to count
out the cards again, and of course, 21 cards will be in the pile.
AN EASY CARD LOCATION
This effect, while easy of operation and requiring no skill, will lead
the spectator to a contrary belief. Take two cards and glue them
together; place this double card near center of deck; place a black ace
on top of the deck and also a black ace on the bottom. Have a card
freely selected, after note has been made of same, request that it be
inserted in the deck as you run the cards over; just as party starts
to place card in deck, if you have not already reached the double card,
it will be found very easy to at one time let loose of all the cards up
to and including the double card; do this, the returned card being on
top of this double card.
Square up the cards, calling attention to the fact that none are
protruding and that the aces ars in their original position and therefore no manipulation of the deck has taken place,. Put the deck behind
your back, requesting party selecting to give you a number (say, six
is chosen), taken off one card, it will be the black ace, showing same,
counting one, and laying down on table in front of you, so continue
until five; request name of selected card, call out number six, and
bring forth the sixth card, which is found to be the one selected; the
other black ace is still on bottom of deck.
Work as follows: When deck is placed behind your back, run thumb
over side of cards, locating the double card, cut at this point,
slipping off bottom card of top packed (the chosen card) and place on
bottom of pack, putting the two halves back into their original
position, take five cards off top of pack, but at sixth card remove
the bottom card. The black ace will then of course be on the bottom
and everything appears to have been fair and above board.